Prog's perception in different countries

A cafe/pub venue called 'Higherground' in Adelaide, Australia. Some full on fusion heads.

Well all the guitar teachers in my city are huge DT fans but other than that...

Textbook wrote: I am also a teacher and find that 0% of students have an existing interest in or knowledge of prog, but a handful become interested if I talk about it or play them some.

 

Edited by moshkito - October 15 2010 at 18:33

Prog as a little place in my country, and i think it's reflecting the same state all over the world, but the community that embrace prog music is strong and prefer that prog remains a music genre that a minority like. It's like our litte secret that we share mostly with people on the web, fortunately.

himtroy wrote: And since people are bringing up age, my friends that are into it are all 18, and they have been into it since 16 or 17.  Myself, I've been into prog since 15 or 16, and was very into a lot of psychedelic music that bordered on prog for as long as I can remember.

When I was in my teens, I had no "peers" that were into prog.  But you never know, they might just get bored and want to explore more.

My bad, double post.

Edited by himtroy - October 15 2010 at 15:22

Clearly there is a substantial world market for Prog but I suspect most of us are in our bedrooms, living rooms etc listening on our own with no-one to talk to about the music we like.  It seems that places lie PA and the many other Prog forums are the only place to vent the feelings inspired by the music we love.

I live in London and I know not one single person who has any interest in Prog, in fact the question I get asked most after I tell people what kind of music I like is, "Prog?! What's that?"  I teach at a drama school and I often use music in my sessions and I often choose something proggy, depending on my purposes.  What's really interesting is the way that the students' ears prick up with genuine interest in what I've been playing them.  I've got one guy into Ayreon (well one album, anyway) and I've been burning some stuff for another guy who, like me, is in his forties but hasn't listened to anything since 1979, it would seem.  He's hugely excited by a lot of the stuff I've been sharing with him and hopefully, he'll dip into his wallet and order some stuff for himself after having been introduced to these new artists.

What's really interesting and, I think, really exciting is that his son (who is 15) has been curious about what his Dad's been playing and has pilfered a lot of the disks for his own listening pleasure.  I think getting youngsters at that age, when they're first learning to appreciate music, interested in Prog is vital.  Audiences seem to be composed mainly of blokes, and mainly of blokes my age and older.  We need some spotty young boys (no offence) to be poring over artwork and lyrics and learning to love progressive rock just as I did when I ( and I'm sure many of you) was 15, and I'm still here 30 years later.

I have met a few prog people, mainly prog metal type people.  I actually saw someone wearing a symphony x shirt and had to go talk to him.  Other than that, I've met some Dream Theater fans, which is about as prog as most people go.  I do know a lot of people who seem to think in a proggy sort of way and are always looking for cool new things that they have never heard.  I am trying to plant the prog seed in these people. We'll see if I eventually have more people to discuss this stuff with!

The difference was clear to me when I submitted a cd of mine to one of the musicians in White Willow. The reaction was honest and the details of the music which I had worked on composing for quite some time were spoke of highly. There was an understanding of dimensional measures between myself and this person. It was completely natural for musicians in Norway to understand your music and to even appreciate it. It was tough in the U.S. 

I think that that view of young people and Progressive music is right on the money. While a lot of young people here in the UK have heard OF Prog ,not many have actually HEARD Prog.